


Ain’t ‘Gon Let Anyone Hurt You

by swamproyal



Category: The Outsiders (1983), The Outsiders - All Media Types, The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Past Sexual Abuse, Pining, Revenge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-09 14:02:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15269025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swamproyal/pseuds/swamproyal
Summary: Something about Johnny being mugged doesn’t sit right with Dallas and he intends to find out what Johnny isn’t telling him. When he finally does, the need for revenge intensifies and he intends to pull out every dirty trick he has to make sure the soc responsible pays for hurting the only person he truly cares about.Wherein Dallas is angry, Johnny is scared and the boys finally figure out what the look in the other’s eye means; they can’t live without each other.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is predominately free-form, I just have a few fixed events that I build around, and written in Dallas Winston’s POV because I really wanted to see if I could get inside his head.
> 
> •••••
> 
> I obviously don’t own these boys, but I love them dearly and forever thank S.E. Hinton for blessing us with The Outsiders. 
> 
> •••••
> 
> Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is predominately free-form, I just have a few fixed events that I build around, and written in Dallas Winston’s POV because I really wanted to see if I could get inside his head.
> 
> •••••
> 
> I obviously don’t own these boys, but I love them dearly and forever thank S.E. Hinton for blessing us with The Outsiders. 
> 
> •••••
> 
> Enjoy!

        I was sitting on the curb of the abandoned lot, smoking a weed as the sun went down. My thoughts were racing about Sylvia and I was clamouring for a brew something fierce when I noticed Johnny approaching from the direction of the Curtis house.

 

“Hey Dal,” he called out in his soft voice, “mind if I join ya?” I smiled down at my feet and nodded my head. Johnny always had a way of finding me when I wanted to be alone but I guess he knew that I really shouldn’t be alone in those moments. He sat next to me and gazed up at the setting sun, not trying to start a conversation but just being a silent companion while I continued to think.

 

“Wanna smoke?” I passed him one without waiting for a response, I knew Johnny like he knew me. As we both lit up I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. His black eyes kept darting up the road and back to the sun, his fingers absentmindedly reaching for the sealed up gash on his cheek. Johnny always gave me more to think about.

 

It had been a week since Johnny was jumped and I still didn’t feel right. I knew that getting beat within an inch of your life could scar, but Johnny was the toughest person I knew when it came to a beating. He got whooped by his old man all the time and that terrified look had never been there before. The gang thought it was because of the rings that soc wore but there was just something that didn’t sit right with me about the whole thing and staring at Johnny now it made me mad.

 

I flicked my cigarette butt into the street with more vigour than I needed to and I could just feel my face contorting into a scowl. I could also feel Johnny’s eyes on me and man, I wondered if he knew how much that unsettled me right now.

 

“Whatcha starin at kid?” I grumped, throwing him a look over my shoulder and lighting up yet another smoke. Johnny just kept staring at me until I looked at him exasperatedly and gestured a ‘well?’.

 

Johnny looked back at the sunset again and sighed, “You’re chain smokin.” And wasn’t that just something for him to say. I was getting properly annoyed now and I stood up to pace the sidewalk.

 

“I’m frustrated and pissed Johnny.” I said as I paced, but he just nodded and kept his eyes on the sky. I stopped by his side and looked down at him. “I want to get revenge on that soc with the rings so bad that it’s all I’ve been thinkin bout for a week.”

 

Johnny looked up at me then but his eyes quickly darted to the lot behind us before he turned back to the sun again. I almost growled in frustration then, shoving my hands into my hair and biting down on the cigarette between my teeth. Why was he like this? I wanted him to rage with me, to be angry instead of terrified all the time.

 

It was Johnny’s turn to sigh and stand up then, and his coal black eyes locked onto mine. “I can’t be mad Dal, ‘cause to be mad I’d have to remember it and I just don’t wanna think about that night anymore.” I watched as he hugged his jean jacket closer to him and looked at the lot again. I heaved a sigh for what felt like the millionth time that night and stepped closer to him.

 

“What happened that night that you don’t wanna tell me?” Johnny’s head whipped up to look at mine so fast I thought he for sure hurt himself. The look in his eyes was burning into my soul before it quickly turned to one of shame and sorrow as he looked back away.

 

“I gotta go Dally. I’ll see you ‘round okay?” And he turned to leave. I swore loudly before I called for him to come back but he just shook his head and kept walking.

 

‘Well,’ I thought as I pulled another cigarette out,’guess I’m drinkin tonight after all.’ Hitching up the collar to my old brown leather I started towards the corner store, in the opposite direction as Johnny, and if I passed anyone that woulda given me trouble any other time they didn’t bother me then. I guess when your face says ‘dontcha fuckin try me tonight’ people listened.

 

When I got to the store I glanced up the street, my hand freezing on the door handle. I could see a car full of socs turning into the drive-in a ways down the street and my other fist clenched in my jacket pocket. My anger was so fresh that I couldn’t stop myself from moving on down the way towards them. Johnny wouldn’t want me to, it wasn’t even the blue mustang that he had seen the night he was jumped, but my blood was running hot. If Johnny wasn’t gonna tell me what happened then I’d find a way to figure it out myself, consequences be damned.

 

I was so distracted by my thoughts when I got to the drive-in that I completely forgot about sneaking in like I normally do, and the man at the ticket booth barked at me, “Hey kid! If you wanna go in you gotta pay!” I glared at him and slammed a quarter on the counter without a word. I hadn’t paid for a movie in 5 years, man I must’ve been off my rocker.

 

Looking around I could see the car the socs were driving parked in the back lot, so they had to be in the chairs instead. I walked as cool as I could over to the concession stand and leaned against the side of it in the shadows, lighting a smoke and just listening to all the conversations around me. People were talking about school, and parents, and a load of other horse shit I didn’t care about.

 

Man, did any of these people have any actual problems? Everything they were complaining about seemed so trivial. ‘Oh Sally said no to Mark when he asked her to the dance’ and ‘Did you hear that blah-de-blah was kicked off the cheerleading team?’ Just once I wanted life to smack them in the face with a real problem. They liked to kick back in their luxury cars while us guys on the east side risked our necks to be able to eat some days. I just kept watching them, my disgust rising with each minute I heard ‘em chatting idly about fuckin algebra.

 

I just about gave up halfway through the movie when I noticed two square lookin guys in letter jackets joining the line. I could barely make out what they were sayin but I heard ‘mustang’ and I strained my ears to hear what they were gonna say about it.

 

“-etting it painted again. Said he’s got to have it lookin real sharp for when he takes Cherry to the big double feature next weekend,” one of em had said and I leaned forward a bit to hear more. “Don’t know why, it looks sharp enough in blue already.” Blue. Mustang. Blue. Mustang. “He’s not changing the blue, just adding some white pinstripes I think. You know Bob, gotta have the best of the best always.” They laughed and got their cokes then and started back toward the seats but I kept watchin em.

 

‘This Bob guy must be a super Soc if he’s getting a perfectly painted car repainted for a date’ I thought to myself. Then there were those guys in letter jackets, sitting in the front row with their arms around girls that would become common housewives, not a care in the world. I wondered if they knew that they were friends with the most worthless person I’d ever heard of. You had to be heartless to beat up on Johnny, he woulda never hurt a soul in his whole life before that night. Now he carried a switch with intent to use it if he had to. Johnnycake with a knife made me shiver, I didn’t want him to be like me. He was too good for that.

 

I damn near jumped when I heard a voice clear behind me and I whipped around so fast I almost lost my footing too. I relaxed instantly when I saw Tim smirking at me and making claws with his hands like the boogie monster. “Did I scare ya?” I flipped him off and lit another cigarette.

 

“What’d’ya want Tim? I’m busy,” I gruffed at him. It wasn’t like I didn’t like Tim, he was one of the few people I kinda liked actually, but I was on a mission right then. I wanted to get one of those socs alone so I could ask him some questions about his buddy Bob and his inclination to jump people four on one.

 

Tim looked at me sideways for a minute longer before opening his mouth, “I just wanted to know why you’re hangin out in the shadows watchin those socs in the front row for,” and he stood there like he had a right to question me, like he was actually expecting an answer.

 

“Ain’t none of your business what I do or why I do it Tim,” I glared at him fiercely now. Just like Johnny made me think, Tim made me mad and I just had no threshold left for anger tonight. “Run along and find someone else’s prick to ride why dontcha.”

 

His face flushed red and he turned to walk away but I heard him muttering under his breath, “..know all about that dontcha Dallas, with that little black haired kid up your ass all the time..” and I just lost it. I grabbed him by the back of his shirt and threw him against the wall, picking him up by his collar.

 

“What the hell did you say?!” I hissed in his face, “You know it isn’t polite,” I slammed him against the wall again, “to talk about people,” he grabbed my wrists but I slammed him again, “behind their back!” I growled in his face but he wasn’t talking and just as I went to slam him again a flashlight blinded us both. I dropped him and looked to the man holding the flashlight defiantly.

 

“I think it’s time for you to leave,” he said sternly but I was in a mood tonight and I shook my head. “I said beat it kid! Or I’ll call the police.” Now, I didn't care about the cops, and I told him as much, but I couldn’t get picked up right then. I had to figure out what happened to Johnny and make those sick socs pay, so I turned to leave anyway.

 

I glanced toward the chairs on my way out and saw that those guys I’d been watching had left already. I cursed under my breath and flipped off the ticket guy on my way out. Tim had made me lose an opportunity to learn what I needed to learn and he’d have to pay for that. I knew he was fine right now,those few wall slams hadn’t hurt him at all, he was tougher than that. ‘But,’ I thought as I walked to Buck’s for the night, ‘his tires aren’t as tough and I’ll get to em sometime this week.’

 

The whole way to Buck’s and even after I was in bed I was thinking about Tim’s comment though. I kept trying to tell myself that I didn’t know what he was talking about, that neither me or Johnny were up each others ass all the time. I just wanted to protect the kid, that didn’t mean I needed him. I was Dallas Winston, I didn’t need anyone. But even as I fell asleep telling myself that, I don’t think I believed me at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this first chapter! 
> 
> Cheers!  
> -Bowen


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWs for this chapter:  
> •Mentions of oral rape  
> •Swearing  
> •Sad boys
> 
> •••••
> 
> I obviously don’t own these boys, but I love them dearly and forever thank S.E. Hinton for blessing us with The Outsiders. 
> 
> •••••
> 
> Enjoy!

I was on my way to the Curtis house when I saw Sodapop streak past me with the whole gang on his heels. I didn’t know what was happening to make Two-Bit move that fast but I took off after them anyway. If the whole gang was rollin somewhere in a hurry I was damn sure not gonna miss it. I tore off and caught up to Johnny first, he was in the back of the pack, and tried to ask what was goin on but I smoked too much so I ain’t got much breath anymore. I didn’t have to ask when we rounded the corner though ‘cause I saw four ugly socs holdin Ponyboy down on the sidewalk.

“Stupid kid!” I huffed and ran faster. I didn’t much like the kid but nobody deserves to be beat like that. Well, most anybody. That Bob guy with the blue mustang just might deserve a beating worse than he gave Johnny. I got to the bastards just as Two-Bit, Johnny, Sodapop and Steve did, rarin’ for a tussle, but the cowards ran back to their car before we could get to ‘em. Steve was yellin’ some pretty colorful words at ‘em as they drove away, but Johnny immediately went back to see if Ponyboy was alright.

I’ll never understand why he likes to hang around that kid, he walks around with a pompous look on his face all the time. Like he’s better than us. Maybe he was better read, but I’ve never met a kid that thinks less than him. But he’s Johnny’s best friend and Soda and Darry’s brother so I gotta put up with him.

I approached the group, watchin Soda try to clean up the little cut on Ponyboy’s head and Darry berating him like a two-year-old. I smirked a little at that, the kid definitely deserved it, none of us except me walked around alone anymore. Not since Johnny got jumped.

Pony looked up at the four of us, obviously tryin to make it look like he wasn’t just about to cry. Greasers don’t cry unless they’re really hurt, and he just had a little cut and some bruises, he’d be alright. “Didya catch ‘em?” he asked and we all shook our heads.

“Nope. They got away this time, the dirty sons-a-bitches.” Two-Bit answered him, raking a hand through his fiery hair.

I looked at Darry, “The kids okay, then?” I asked him, knowing it’d piss Pony off. What can I say? He’s easy to mess with and I’m a bit of an asshole to tell you the truth.

“I’m okay,” he said, looking up at me defiantly. I just stared down at him, bored. “Didn’t know you were out of the cooler yet, Dally.” He wouldn’t with his nose always in a book. I almost told him as much but Johnny sent me a look.

“Been out for a week kid. Got back last Friday.” I lit a cigarette and handed it to Johnny, the little spark that always shoots up my fingers when he touches me didn’t shock me anymore, it was more of a comfort than a confusion now. He shot me a look and a small smile before lowering his gaze back to Pony. I just continued to look at him from the corner of my eye.

The scar from that ringed soc made Johnny look real tough. It stood out against his dark skin, still being pink and all. He really did heal faster than anyone I’d ever met but I guess being beaten regularly most of your life made a person have superhuman healing capabilities. I could hear the guys around me talking, but it just sounded like a dull murmur, all my attention was on the mystery that was Johnny Cade. He kept throwing me confused looks now but I couldn’t help but think about what Tim had said to me last weekend. ‘..know all about that dontcha Dallas. That black haired kid always up your ass..’ Thing was, I never really noticed the spark in Johnny’s eyes when he looked at me wasn’t there when he looked at the rest of the gang. I’d noticed this week though, and it made me wonder what my eyes did when they looked at Johnny.

Would it really be that crazy to care about just one person besides myself? I didn’t really know, I’ve never cared about anyone before. Not even my parents. Somehow Johnny was different, and I didn’t know how. I caught Darry staring at me out of the corner of my eye then, guess I had moved my head to openly look at Johnny without knowing it, and I quickly moved my gaze back to the gang.

“Speaking of movies,” I piped in, “I was gonna go to the Nightly Double tomorrow night. Anyone wanna go hunt some action with me?”

Steve shook his head, “Me and Soda are gonna pick up Sandy and Evie for the game.” So I looked at Darry, who shook his head sadly and said he had to work.

I looked at the rest of the gang hopefully, “What about y’all? Two-Bit? Johnnycake, you and Pony wanta come?”

Just as Johnny was gonna open his mouth, Ponyboy spoke over him, “Me and Johnny’ll go,” then he looked at Darry, “Alright, Darry?” who just nodded his head. Man, everyone talked about how quiet Johnny was but no one ever gave him the chance to speak for himself.

I turned from Ponyboy to Johnny and asked, “Do you want to come?” He nodded his head and smiled a bit, picking at his lip. I smiled quickly back at him and turned to Two-Bit.

“I was plannin on getting boozed up tomorrow night,” he said, “but if I don’t, I’ll wander on down and find y’all.” I nodded. Two-Bit always liked to get sloshed on the weekends, and the weekdays for that matter, so it didn’t shock me none. The gang fell into a sort of silence then, and I was starting to feel uncomfortable when Steve turned to me.

“You ain’t wearin your ring Dal,” he stated bluntly. I just looked at him and then held up my hand, looking at the ring I had rolled that senior for. I liked it a lot, it was like a badge of honor for me, and if I wasn’t wearing it then the person I was with was. I clenched my hand into a fist and dropped it back to my side, and looked back at Steve. He cleared his throat a bit and said, “So you and Sylvia broke up again, then?”

I nodded slowly, “Yeah, she was messin ‘round on me while I was in.” The gang nodded solemnly and it was weird to me. Sylvia and me broke up all the time. Hell, every girl I’d ever been with hadn’t been what anyone would call faithful. I always was though, I may be a hood but I was always honest by my lady. “Two other guys in the two days I was in there,” I scoffed, “but it’s over for good now. Can’t trust no one that wears that much lipstick and lets every guy wear it in public.” I laughed then, it was no use getting upset over really, I didn’t even really like her, she was just a warm body.

We all pretty much split then. Pony was escorted back to his house by Darry and Two-Bit, Soda and Steve said they were going to go get some cokes at the diner. That left me and Johnny on the sidewalk as the sun started to go down. An idea came to my mind and I pulled Johnny along with me toward the bridge that sat over the Arkansas River. You could see for miles over there and it wasn’t too far away. We walked in companionable silence mostly, chatting about the tough cars we saw occasionally.

When we got there I walked to the middle of the bridge and sat on the side, my feet dangling over above the water. Johnny joined me but he looked a little nervous. “Don’t be nervous Johnnycake,” I told him, patting the cement beside me, “I ain’t ‘gon let ya fall. At least not without me.” I smiled then and he smiled back and settled a little more comfortably. We just looked over the water, I didn’t do this often but I liked showing Johnny pretty things. He had so much ugly in his life, I felt he deserved to to soak in all the beauty he could.

I only really looked at Johnny though, I’d glance down at the water a time or two but as always my focus went to Johnny. He had a small smile on his face, the setting sun casting a golden hugh onto him, making him look warm. Without taking his eyes off the view he said, “You’re starin again Dal,” but he didn’t look upset, just peaceful, “You’re supposed to be lookin out at the beauty.” I smiled at him and thought ‘I am’ but I didn’t say it. This was Oklahoma, boys didn’t say corny stuff like that to other boys even if they did feel it.

“I’m just wonderin whatyer thinkin bout Johnnycake,” I said instead. It was still pretty sissy but it wasn’t as queer. Johnny just smiled wider and I couldn’t breathe for a second. It was crazy that someone so tough could be so beautiful, but that was Johnny. Tough and beautiful. He never saw it though, he was so insecure. Especially now. It wasn’t just his folks that beat him down anymore, it was that soc with the mustang too. He had done something bad to Johnny, something worse than beating him.

“I like it here is what I’m thinkin. It’s kinda quiet and the river is real pretty, and I’m with you. I’m just happy like this Dal.” Those words made my heart flutter a bit. He was so pure, and I never wanted anything bad to happen to him again, I wanted to hold him and make sure he was always safe. My hand had reached out with the thought, but I dropped it midway. There was no way I was gonna let my backwards feelings ruin this moment for him.

Johnny scooted a little closer to me then, throwing me a nervous glance. I couldn’t figure out why though, did he really think that I’d push him away? He couldn’t, there had to be something else. He leaned a little closer to me and whispered, “Can I tell you somethin Dally?” I nodded but then I remembered he couldn’t see me ‘cause his face was still turned toward the sun.

“Yeah,” I breathed just as quietly.

“Don’t think less of me or nothin’ okay? I just need to tell someone and you asked last week and everything.” I sat up a little straighter then, and leaned in close to him desperately wanting to grab his hand in comfort. I could never think less of Johnny, he was the only person on this planet that I truly cared about. A part of me didn’t really wanna hear what he was gonna say though, the look on his face had changed from pure contentment to something tortured and I didn’t know if I could take hearin what made him look like that.

“Okay, so you remember when I was-when I was jumped, right?” My stomach soured at the thought but I nodded anyway. He glanced at me and continued, “Well I ain’t ever been beat that bad, but that’s not what scared me so much that night. I’ve been beat before, but I ain’t ever had something like this happen. I didn’t really understand what they were talkin about at first, you know how ignorant I am to things.” I didn’t nod this time, everything in me ran cold. He couldn’t mean- “They forced me down, man. I couldn’t fight em, but I tried. Believe I tried.”

“I believe you Johnny,” I said when he looked at me. He nodded and looked back at the horizon, fiddling with his hands now. He didn’t look like he was gonna go on, so I bit the bullet and reached for his hand. It was pretty dark now and there was no one on the street so it felt safe to touch him. He hung his head and I whispered as soft as I could, “What happened Johnny?”

He let out a shuddering breath that sounded suspiciously wet. “The-the one with the rings sat on my chest. He hit me a few more times so it was hard for me to really hear what he was sayin but I knew he was talkin ‘bout some pretty rude things. He-uh, he unbuckled his belt and I finally understood what he was intending to do. I fought so hard then Dally, so hard that my shoulder popped out, but he was so heavy on my chest.” I was shaking, from anger or terror I couldn’t tell. Johnny was openly crying and I felt so helpless, I pulled him closer to me and wrapped an arm around his too-thin shoulders.

Laying his head on my shoulder he continued in a whisper so soft I had trouble hearin him, “He put it in my mouth and I tried to bite him but he wedged a stick in the back of my teeth so I couldn’t. The other guys were just laughin and callin me queer. I was sobbing so hard I couldn’t breath Dally. I couldn’t scream or anything, I thought I was gonna die.” Johnny was shaking so hard, I tightened my grip on him and I realized I was crying too.  
“I passed out before he could,” Johnny choked on a sob, “before he could finish but when I woke up I could taste him and I think I still can.” He raised his head to look up at me, “Sometimes I wish I woulda just died that night.” It felt like someone had put vice grips around my heart then. I couldn’t imagine a world without Johnny, I knew he’d had these kinda thoughts before but he’d never really meant it before. It seemed like he did now.

I didn’t know what to say. I mean, what do you say to something like that anyway? I simultaneously wanted to scream in anger at the sick son-of-a-bitch that had done that to Johnny and weep in anguish for the pain that Johnny must’ve been feeling. I couldn’t do either right then, so I just wrapped my other arm around him and hugged him as tightly as I could. The world could go to hell, I didn’t care if anyone saw us like that. My reputation as the hardest hood in Oklahoma would’ve been diminished if they did, but I didn’t care about that either. All I cared about at that moment was trying to hold Johnny together as he broke apart in my arms.

“I’m sorry Dal,” Johnny sniffed as he pulled out of my arms. I instantly wanted to pull him back. “I know you got better stuff to do than to listen to me cry about this.” I still didn’t know what to say, but I knew I had to say something. I couldn’t just sit like a bump on a log while he was closing back up right in front of me.

I put my hand on his shoulder and made sure he was looking at me before I said, “Johhnycake, there’s nothin more important to me than you.” He looked shocked, and I could understand why. Bad Dallas Winston never showed his feelings, and right now I was openly showing him that I cared for him, tear tracks on my face and everything.

We looked at each other for a while longer until Johnny smiled at me and made to stand back on the road. I followed him and we walked back towards the eastside, perhaps just a little bit closer than necessary. I lit us both a cigarette as we walked and handed Johnny his. “Don’t you dare tell anyone that you saw me cry, kid. Everyone thinks that I don’t have tear ducts and I wanna keep it that way.” Johnny laughed at me but told me he wouldn’t.

I had to resist the urge to sling my arm around his shoulders the whole way back, and I think Johnny felt the same because our shoulders kept brushing. “You can stay with me tonight at Buck’s if you want to, instead of goin back to your folk’s house,” I threw out just before we met the place where we’d have to split up. Johnny readily agreed and followed me towards Buck’s, his steps a little lighter than they’d been a moment ago. I smiled to myself, the feelings that I had for Johnny Cade might be backwards, but as long as he was around that was fine with me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof. This chapter was pretty hard to write because I never ever wanted my Johnny to experience this but it fits with the way I’m steering this story. 
> 
> Forgive me! It will get better! I swears it!
> 
> Cheers!  
> Bowen


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Dallas pining  
> *Cute sleepy boys  
> *Revenge plots

##  Chapter Three

 

When I woke up, I was confused. There was sun streaming through my window at Buck’s but that wasn’t why I was warm. No, I was warm because there was a body pressed up against mine. It took me a minute to clear the sleep from my eyes enough to see who was tucked under my arm and another minute for me to remember why Johnny was in my bed.

 

The conversation we had while sitting on that bridge smacked me in the face with full force and I gasped. Looking down at Johnny now it was hard to believe that those things had happened to him. He seemed so peaceful in his sleep, and in a moment of weakness I reached down to brush his hair out of his eyes. He murmured something I couldn’t hear and snuggled closer to me. I knew he’d be petrified if he woke up and realized that he was cuddling into my side, but I couldn’t help but smile at the action.

 

I had dreamed before of waking up with him beside me like this, but I always pushed it way back into the depths of my mind. I knew that it would never be what I actually wanted it to be, that I shouldn’t want it to be that way anyway, but you can’t really hide anything from your subconscious. I played absently with Johnny’s hair as he slept, content in the bubble of silence and warmth we were in. I let out a whisper of a chuckle when he started to mumble in his sleep, I couldn’t really tell what he was sayin but he had a small smile on his lips.

 

I started a bit when Johnny’s hand started trailing up and down my stomach lazily and he nuzzled his head against my chest. ‘I can’t let this happen’ I told myself even if my eyelids were starting to droop again and I was getting lost in the sensations. I laid there for a few more minutes, petting Johnny’s hair and enjoying him stroking my ribs and belly, before I heard him sigh my name. I suddenly felt dirty all over so I pulled my hand out of his hair and slowly untangled myself from him. I sat on the side of the bed, my head in my hands, cursing to myself softly and willing away my very quick physical response to Johnny saying my name like that.

 

I was so dumb, letting myself get lost in the moment like that. Man, what would Johnny say? He’d bared his soul to me just last night about what that stupid soc had done to him and here I was, a person he trusted enough to fall asleep next to, getting all horned up by him when he was asleep. It didn’t help that when I snuck a look over my shoulder at him his face was scrunched up and he was reaching towards me. It made me immediately want to crawl back into the bed. ‘Fuck,’ I thought, ‘I need to get away from him for a minute.’ So I went as quietly as I could to take a cold shower.

 

When I got back I fully expected Johnny to still be asleep, the kid never got enough sleep so when he got a safe place to rest his head he usually was out forever. He wasn’t though, he was sitting up with his back against the headboard smoking a cigarette and blushed when he saw me come through the door. “Well good mornin sleepin beauty,” I said with a smirk, moving to my dresser to find a shirt. When he didn’t respond I turned back towards him, “What’s up Johnnycake?” He was blushing and wouldn’t look at me, which was crazy because I should be the one that couldn’t look at him after my reaction to him this morning.

 

Johnny took a long drag of his cigarette and shrugged, “Just a weird dream’s’all,” but he still wouldn’t look at me. I quickly threw on my shirt and sat back on the edge of the bed, lighting up my own smoke. I could feel his eyes on my back and it made my breath speed up a bit, my neck going red with embarrassment. I wondered if his dream was anything like the reality of this morning and I sorely hoped he hadn’t been awake at all.

 

“Yeah,” I told him, “Me too.” He did look at me in the eyes when I turned to him then. The thing about Johnny was, he had this knack for takin my breath away in the most random moments. He wasn’t smiling, but there was this fire in his eyes when he looked at me that made the whole world freeze, made me think for half a second that he wanted me just as much as I wanted him. That was ridiculous though, Johnny’d never shown any interest in anyone, not even the hot broads that hung around. No, that fire had to be something else. We stared at each other for a minute before I cleared my throat and stood back up. “So, do you need a shower or anything before we head out?” I heard his soft chuckle from behind me and I turned a questioning look to him, “What’s so funny, man?”

 

“Nothin Dal,” he smiled, but moved to get out of the bed himself, “If I stink just tell me though, instead of hintin that I need a shower.” I laughed and made to chase him out the door but he was faster than me and dipped into the hallway before I could grab him. I just settled back on my bed and let my thoughts wash over me while I waited.

 

That soc that had hurt Johnny was supposed to be at the double tonight with his girl Cherry. Stupid name if you ask me, but most soc’s weren’t too bright. I had intended to watch out for the guy and maybe overhear him talkin about what he’d done to Johnny but I didn’t really have a need anymore, Johnny’d told me himself. To tell you the truth I didn’t know what I’d do if I saw that soc tonight now. I wanted to get back at him so bad, kinda wanted to kill him too, but I just didn’t know what I could do to him to equal what he’d done to Johnny. There was the possibility that I could do the same thing, but the very thought made my stomach turn. I’d seen things like that happen all the times I’d been in jail and I’d narrowly escaped it myself. I was as cold as the next hood, but there were some things even I couldn’t do and live with.

 

I didn’t know what I’d do to that soc, but I did know that I wasn’t gonna let this just pass by the wayside. No. I was gonna get even somehow, and it couldn’t be my typical fly-off-the-handle reaction, I had to plan this. Just as I made that promise to myself Johnny walked back into the room with no shirt and wet hair. My mouth went dry and it took me quite a few minutes to realize that he was talkin to me, “Earth to Dallas! I said, do you know where my jacket is? It has my hair grease in it.”

 

“Uh, yeah,” I said, still a little dazed, “Its on that chair over there, I moved it last night before I went to bed.” He nodded and fished his hair grease out of the pocket. I watched the water drip down his back as he applied it in the mirror over my dresser. ‘Man,’ I thought as my eyes traced a droplet that rolled down the curve of his lower back, ‘I am so fucked.’

 

We’d headed over to the Curtis house after Johnny was ready and it had been a fairly pleasant walk. It was a typical hot summer day in Tulsa and by the time we got to the house I was so drenched in sweat my hair looked like it had grease in it. When we walked in Two-Bit and Ponyboy were sitting in front of the TV watching Mickey Mouse cartoons with a chocolate cake between them. “Hey guys,” I said as I slid off my leather and plopped down onto the couch, Johnny settling beside me and I threw my arm across the back of the couch behind him. I didn’t really think anything of the action until Two-Bit turned to talk to us and his eyes slid curiously between me, Johnny, and my arm. “What’s up, man?” I said with a slightly challenging glint to my voice.

 

He shook himself out it before Ponyboy could notice what he was staring at and he smiled, “Nothin man. Killin time before I head over to Shepard’s house for some drink. Gotta get loaded before I head over to the double later, you know bein drunk makes things more fun.” I chuckled at him while Pony rolled his eyes good naturedly. 

 

“Yeah, ‘cause you need even more than this,” Pony said gesturing to about six beer bottles on the floor beside Two-Bit, who just laughed and grabbed one. 

 

“Course I need more than this, I gotta make up for all the fun you’re gonna kill kid.” He laughed even harder while Ponyboy tried to look offended before joining in on his hysterics. Johnny was laughing softly beside me, which made me smile. We all joked around for a while, Two drinkin and watchin his cartoons, Johnny and Ponyboy ropin me into playin cards with them. It was actually a pretty good way to spend the afternoon.

 

At the end of a hand I asked Ponyboy, “Hey, is Darrel gonna be home before we leave?” I wanted to talk to him about Bob, and I knew I couldn’t tell him about what really happened but I wanted his advice all the same. Darry was like the voice of reason for most of the gang, he had his head on straight and we all tended to go to him when we were at a loss.

 

“I think so,” said Pony while dealing out another hand. “He should be home in about an hour.” I nodded, continuing to half-heartedly play. I didn’t know what Darry would say, but I hoped he wouldn’t press for information. I couldn’t tell him what had happened to Johnny and I wouldn’t. That was Johnny’s choice, and he’d made it already by not telling the gang when it had happened. I waited somewhat impatiently for Darrel to get there, watching the clock and playing my hand when I needed to. When he finally walked through the door I all but bounded to his side and followed him into the kitchen.

 

“Hey Dallas,” he threw over his shoulder while he grabbed a glass of water. I leaned on the counter next to him until he finally looked at me. I had a moment of indecision. I mean, was it wise to talk to someone in the gang about this? The look of pure concern on his face made up my mind for me though. “What’s wrong?” He asked immediately when he saw my face. Man, I gotta get better at hiding what I’m feeling because Dallas fucking Winston didn’t feel anything.

 

This was Darry though, part of the gang, and I sighed a long sigh. “Can we talk somewhere private?” I asked him. He nodded and started to lead me to his room. Johnny threw me a questioning and a bit panicked look as we walked by the living room but I smiled reassuringly at him and shook my head. He relaxed immediately and turned back to his game with Pony and now a slightly belligerent Two-Bit.

 

I had only ever been in Darry’s room once before, on the night that Johnny was jumped we had brought him in here. It was a quiet room, a few trophies from Darry’s football days on the shelf but otherwise pretty plain. Darry sat on the bed and I sat at the desk chair after I closed the door. We just stared at each other for a minute, me trying to figure out how to say what I wanted and him trying to figure me out. Finally I exhaled loudly, rubbing my eyes and decided just to come out with it.

 

“I know who the guy is that jumped Johnny.” Darry’s eyes went super wide before every muscle in his body tensed up. I knew that he was almost as mad as I was about what had happened to Johnny and he didn’t even know the full extent of it.

 

“What’re you gonna do with that information?” He asked slowly.

 

“I don’t know man,” I replied, standing to pace the room. “I want to kill him honestly, but I know that I wouldn’t be able to protect Johnny from the backlash if I was in jail for murder.” Darry just nodded and looked down at his feet. I think the whole gang was used to me being affectionate towards Johnny, but we all wanted to protect him. Every single one of us. “I want the same thing that happened to Johnny to happen to that ugly soc, man. Worse even, but I ain’t got the stomach for it.” Darry looked at me questioningly then, and I understood why. He thought that Johnny had only been beaten and I had jumped my fair share of people in the past.

 

I thought I saw a glimmer of recognition in his eyes but he didn’t say anything for a long while. When he finally did speak, his voice was dark, darker than I had ever heard it. “I don’t know what those socs did to him exactly, but you do.” I nodded and he continued, “If it were me, I’d find someone that could stomach it and have them do it while I made damn sure the bastard knew exactly why it was happening. Scare him into not bein able to squeal about it afterward.”

 

I stared open mouthed at Darry then. I didn’t know that he had those kinda thoughts in him. I liked what he said though, and my mind ran with it. Even if I didn’t know anyone personally that could commit those sins, I knew someone that would. “Thanks Darry,” I said to him as we both walked to the door but before I could open it he turned to me.

 

“You get that son-of-a-bitch Dally. Do it for Johnny,” He said with a cold fire in his eyes. I nodded my promise to do just that and we walked back into the living room like we hadn’t just been plotting the destruction of someone’s life.

 

When we got back into the living room Darry told the guys that he had changed his mind and that he wasn’t too tired after work to go to the movies after all. That eased my heart a bit, Darry could protect Johnny until I could get to the drive-in. I said my goodbyes, promising that I’d meet them there before the first movie was halfway over, then I started to make my way to Tim Shepard’s place. As I walked a dark smirk crossed my face, Bob the fucking ugly soc was gonna get his tonight.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was really hard for me to write, because I've had unexpected Dr's appointments all week but I finally did it! This chapter was pretty much filler, the next chapter is when the graphic depictions of violence are gonna happen so you've been pre-warned. Hope you liked this chapter, let me know what you think!
> 
> -Bowen


End file.
